Semiconvertible car.



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Na'. 723,644.1 PATBNTED MAR. .24, 1903.

G.. M. BRILL.- SBMIGONVERTIBLE GAR. 'APPLICATION FILED BB\PT.Y26, 1901.

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GEORGE MARTIN BVRILL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SEMIACQNVERTIBLE CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 723,644, dated March 24, 1903. Application inea september 26,1901. serial No. 76,593. or@ maar To LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE MARTIN BRILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Semiconvertible Cars, of which the followingis a specication.

My invention relates to improvements in railroad-cars, and especially to that classof street-railway cars in which there are fixed base-panels', the upper panels or sashes only of which are adapted to be removed, and hence are specificall y called semiconvertible cars.

The main object of converting devices in a car wholly or partly convertible is to provide means whereby the car can be approximately converted from the open to the closed form, or vice versa, to respond to the requirements of the seasons or the traffic. Y Many forms of cars have been devised for this purpose in which the entire side of the car is built up of sashes adapted to be raised up and stored in the roof, by which a side entrance to the transverse seats and storage of the panels in the car and out of the way and ready for immediate use has been provided. This is mainly the convertible-car form. In the semiconvertible car pockets or receptacles in the fixed panels have been provided to receive and store the sashes and panels, and a further rnodilication has been to place the seats between the posts and provide movable sashes or panels and pockets in the roof to receive and store the latter, the posts being grooved` in either case to permanently retain the sashes or panels in either position as part of the car.

In all the foregoing structures, as types, and of which there have been various adaptations, it has been expedient or necessary to specially construct the car to adapt it to the particularl idea of means employed, among the most prominent of which are those having side posts or stanchions, which in many instances have been formed with horns or extensions at the top to guide the'sashes or panels and to define pockets in the roof-section, into which the pockets, dac., are moved.

One of the features of my present invention is to dispense with the employment of posts constructed with specific reference to .the converting means and to provide means permitting the detachment of the sashes for storage to con vert the car into the semi-open and ready afixture of the sashes to close the car and to allow of the alteration, though slight, of cars not originally built in accordance with my improvements, so that they can be readily applied. With my invention each sash can be detached or attached exteriorly 6o of the car, immediately locked fast in position, and as readily unlocked, and in connection withvthese features my invention extends to the combination therewith of the locking device and also t0 the detachable sash and 65 the curtain arrangement.

My invention there fore resides in the structure and novel 'combination of parts hereinafter described, and further pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this speciiication,gFigure l is aside elevation of a portion of theside of acar provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation substantially on the line 2 2, Fig. l. Fig. 3 75 is a longitudinal section on the line 33,' Fig.

2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of-the car side, post, sash, and frame, showing one sash locked in and anotherA removed, 'and a'face view of the lock. 8o Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation on the line 5 5, Fig. '4. Fig. 6 is a rear view of the lock and a section of the sash'and striker-plate; vand Figs. 7 8, and 9 are respectively perspective views of the lock-bolt, spring, and key.

In the drawings. accompanying this application I have shown only so muchof a portion of a car of otherwise conventional construction as is necessary to illustrate the application of myimprovements. The car-body 9o herein illustrated and to which I have applied my improvements comprises, among other things, the side or outer sills 1, ooring 2, and the upp'er roof-sill 3, from which extends the carline 4, and between the sills l and the roofsills 3 extend the' posts or stanchions 4'-, constructed in conventional form, except as hereinafter described. The upperpart of ther' posts is secured to the letter-board 5 and in.- side the heading-strip 6 and the head-lining roo 7, which extends upwardly and is secured to the carlines.

It has been customary in cars which are adapted for complete conversion from open space in the car side.

to closed to provide pockets or receivingspaces at the top of the posts below the roof, the car side being open between the posts and from the weather-board to the sills. It has also been customary in cars of the semiconvertible'class to provide stationary paneling, forming a fixed portion of the car side below the window-openings, and to form within said stationary paneling pockets or receptacles for the purpose of temporarilyreceiving such movable paneling or window sashes or frames as may be utilized to close the otherwise open In almost all of these cases it has been necessary to specially construct the car for each character of arrangement employed. This is not always advantageous or feasible, so in order to avoid this necessity7 I have devised an improvement which is mainly applicable to semiconvertible cars which requires very little, if any, change in the prevailingr modes of construction for its use and by means of which cars not otherwise so adapted can be readily and economically altered for the application of my improvements thereto.

I shall describe only a section of the car, it being understood that both sides are likewise constructed.

The base-paneliug ofthe car, Figs. 1 and 2, as to its outer section extends from the sill to the belt-rail S, which in the present structure defines the lower limits of the side openings and comprises the upper panel 9, the upper panel being secured to the belt-rail 8 above and below to the panel furring or tilling 10, to which the upper end of the lower panel is secured, the joint between the two bei-ng coveredby the guard-rail 12, the lower end of the panel 11 being secured to the sills 1. At 13 is the ordinary truss-plank resting on the sill 1 and from which extendsinwardly the footboard 14, and from the latter rises upwardly suitable inside lining 15, superposed by a sill-rail 16, having a flange 17. This base-paneling is adapted to receive the posts which rest on the sills, and it may be of the form before'described or of any other desired'construction. To the exterior of the posts may be secured the verticall strips 1S, which strips, with the longitudinal strips 19, form the exterior finish of the car between the belt-rail S and the letter-board 5 and'` with the belt-rail delines the openings in the side of the car, the lower ends of these vertical strips resting upon the belt rail, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5.

At 2O is a windowsash or framing of the" st-riicted inthe car to receive the window sash or frame. In this way a window-sash of ordinary construction can be readily inserted or removed to form a weather-tight joint, and the foregoing construction is such that cars not original-ly planned in accordance with my invention can be readily adapted therefor.

Another portion of my invention residesin the employment of a lock, whereby the sash can be firmly and expeditiously secured in position, and in this regard a minor feature of my invention resides in an especially-constructed lock, whereby the sash will not only be held in its position, but be forced rmly back against the abutment provided for it. This lock comprises two parts, one a strikerplate inserted in the sides of the posts with a slot opening outwardly and a casing carrying the revoluble locking tongue and detent. At 24 is the lock casing or housing having anges 25, whereby it'may be secured to the sashframe, preferably near the bottom and on the side rail, by screws, the crown-piece of the casing being provided with an aperture 26. At 27 is the lock-plate, comprising a circular disk 28 and circular hub 29, which extends through the aperture 2b in the housing and which is provided with an aperture 30, preferably squared to receive the squared end 31 of a key 32, whereby the lock-plate can be readily rotated. Extending from the lockplate 28 isla tongue 33, which when it is vibrated downwardly extends beyond the side of the casing, which latter is preferably located in line with the outer edge of the sashupright, so that it will liev closely adjacent to the side of the post, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6,

and when rotated upwardly will lie Within the housing free from contact with the posts. As shown iu Fig. 6, this tongue 33 when projected extends into the slot 34, formed in the striker-plate 35, which is let into the side of` the posts and secured in place by screws, with its slot opposite and in linerwith the plane of movement of the locking-plate tongue. One edge of the locking-plate tongue is made inclined and preferably slightly cam-shaped, as at 36, the thickness of the lip 37 of the tongue gradually increasing from the lower point 38 (referring to the direction of movement of the tongue) upwardly, so as to form a cam-sur face. However, this latter is not essential. lVhen the inclined edge 36 of the tongue strikes the side of the striker-plate, the sash is forced in against the abutment 22 and firmly held in position, and should the tongue be cam-shaped,as before described, further pressure can be brought to bear upon the windowframing to more firmly set it against the abutments. To aid in firmly holding the lockingplate in position against the striker-plate and to prevent the same from rattling, I have devised a novel.springdetent.

The inner face of the locking-plate is provided with angular grooves or indentations 39 39, crossing the aperture 30 in the hub of the locking-plate. At 40 is'a dat plate-spring iOO IIO

adapted to be secured to the side of the sash, Fig. 5, the plate having an outwardly-extending lateral rib 41, preferably conforming to the indentation 49 in the locking-plate and adapted to lie therein, as indicated in Fig. 5.`

When the locking-plate tongue is rotated to lock the plate in position, the rib 41 on the spring lies within the groove 39a of the locking-plate, the other plate 39 being then vertically disposed, and upon rotating the locking-plate to free the sash from the car-framing therib of the spring is forced out from the groove, binding the spring slightly inwardly, (the sash being cut away at 42, Fig. 5, to provide clearance,) and a continuation of the upward movement of the locking-plate will cause the other groove to be brought into alinement with the rib on the spring and be engaged thereby, the latter holding the locking-plate in this position, preventing it from inadvertently dropping or from rattling. On the inside of-the casing is formed an inwardlyextending projectiou 43, forming a step to prevent the complete rotation of the lockingplate in either direction,the sides of the tongue 33 being adapted to strike against it for this purpose.

Y By means of the foregoing the sash can be readily placed in position and maintained firmly under weather-tight conditions, and by the use of the squared key or any other desired tool the sash can be readily freed from the window-framing.

It is clear that so far as the details of construction are concerned my invention in this regard can be variously embodied without departing from the spirit thereof.

In addition to the foregoing improvements I have devised'a curtain arrangement which can be utilized as a shade when the sashes are in place-that is, when the car is used as a closed car-or to close the openings in the sides of the car when the sashes are removed and the car is being used as a semi-open car. The construction is illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The posts 4 are each provided with a vertical groove 44, extending from the rail 16 to the top of the posts and which enters into an enlarged recess 45, formed at the upper end of the post between the letter-board 5 and the heading-strip 6. The curtain comprises the flexible material 46, and roller 47 of conventional form is journaled in bearings provided therefor in the large recess 45, and the lower or free end of the curtain has a rigid strip or bar 4S, movable in the groove-44. This strip is adapted to be moved downwardly from the recess 45 in the groove 44 to the rail 16 and behind the projection 17 to close the opening against the weather or to be used as a shade. 'lhe strip 48 when the windowsash is in place is retained when in its lowest position between the window-frame and the projection 17 of the rail 16.

I am aware that it is not new to provide cars wholly or partly open with grooved posts and curtains adapted in whole or in part to move in the grooves, and this I do not claim, broadly, herein.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a semiconvertible car, the combination with the side posts,stationary panels closing the lower portion of the openings between said posts; and anges carried upon the inner sides of said posts, forming abutments; of a sash adapted to fit between eacn of said posts and to rest against said abutments, means for holding the upper end of said sash against movement, and means carried upon the lower end of said sash for wedging the sash against said abutments.

2. In a semiconvertible car, the combination with the side posts, stationary paneling closing the lower portion of the space between said posts, a letter-board defining the upper side of said openings, and strips secured upon the inner sides of said side posts forming abutments; of sashes adapted to close said openings, the upper edge of each sash being adapted to enter a notch formed in the inner side of said letter-board, and to rest against said abutments upon the side posts',and means for wedging the lower end of said sashes against said abutments.

3. In a semiconvertible car, the combination with the side posts, stationary lower panels partially closing the openings between said posts, a letter-board having a notched inner edge, defining the upper side of said openings, and flanges secured to the inner edges of said posts forming abutments; of a sash adapted to be fitted between each post above said panel, the upper edge of each sash entering the notch in said letter-board, and to rest against said abutments, and means for wedging the lower edge of said sash against said abutments.

4. In a semiconvertible car, the combination with grooved side posts, a curtain-roller mounted between said side posts, said curtain being adapted to enter said grooves to be guided thereby, stationary panels closing the lower portion of the openings between said posts, a notched letter-board defining the upper sides of said openings, and abutments provided upon the inner sides of said posts; of sashes adapted to'be iitted between said posts, the upper edge of said sashes entering the notch in said letter-board, a lock carried upon the lower end of said sash, anda strikerplate inserted into the-walls of said side posts adapted to be engaged by said' lock to hold said sash against said abutments.

5. The combination with the car having side openings, abutments extending into .said openings, a window sash or frame adapted to be inserted in said opening to close the same and bear against the abutments, and means carried upon the lower portion of said sash and adapted to engage 'the side posts to firmly wedge the sash against said abutments.

6. In a semiconvertible car, the combination with an openingformed in itsside, abut- IOC IIC

ments extending into said openings, a WindoW sash or framing adapted to ill said opening and bear against said abutment, and a lock carried by the Window-sash comprising a revoluble plate having a tongue, a slotted striker-plate secured to the oar immediately adjacent said opening, said tongue being so conformed as to bear against the striker-plate with a Wedge-like action, to hold said sash firmly against said abutxnents.

7. In a semicon-vertible car, the combination with openings formed in the side of the car and defined by upright posts and longitudinal rails, abntments extending from the posts, a Window sash or frame adapted to be detaehably secured in said opening against the abutments, a lock carried upon the lower end of said sash, and a striker-plate inserted into the Wall of said side posts With which said look engages to wedge said sash against said abntments.

Signed in the city of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, thisl'th day of September, 1901.

GEORGE MARTIN BRlLL. Witnesses:

WM. POWERS, HENRY C. ESLING. 

